How And Why We Are Living Intentional In 2017

I’ve never been a New Year’s Resolutions kind of person. I tried calling them goals one year; I set 3 goals, accomplished 1, and threw the paper away sometime around June. 😉 As I was thinking about the coming year, one that will be filled with new adventures and excitement, I came across an idea that I like much better than resolutions: a focus word of the year. After talking to my husband and praying over it, we chose a word for 2017: intentional. Let me tell you a little bit about why we chose this word, how we’ll live it out, and how you can join us in living intentional in 2017!

A focus word of the year may sound like a big deal or a complicated process, but it’s exactly what it sounds like: one word that you will focus on for the entire year. For some, they’ve chosen the word content. They will focus on being content in every area of their lives, including their marriage, their faith, their kids, and their possessions. For others, they’ve chosen the word joy. Maybe that’s something they’ve struggled with in the past, and they are determined this year to focus on joy of the Lord in their lives. For us, it’s intentional, a word that means done on purpose or deliberately.We are choosing to be purposeful, deliberate, and intentional with our choices, our time, and the way we approach our lives.

Why We Chose Intentional

God is constantly growing us and moving in our lives, and there are many words that we could have chosen to focus on in 2017. So why did we choose intentional? It’s simple; it’s the one that God confirmed through prayer. Intentional was the word placed upon my heart, and after both Caleb and I prayed about it, it was the word that we felt was right for us. In 2017, we will celebrate one year of marriage, we will welcome our first child into the world, and we will experience a whole new set of adventures. Though my heart is excited for what is to come, there is also a fair amount of uncertainty. It’s easy to lean into that uncertainty, to rely on that fear, to settle into the complacency of anxiety. But I don’t want to do that. I want to be intentional with my heart, lean into God, rely on Him, and settle into the peace of His heart. We chose intentional because it is God’s heart for us this year.

How We Will Be Intentional

As I said earlier, I’m not a resolutions kind of person. We don’t have a list of specific ways we will be intentional this year, but we have discussed areas of our lives in which being intentional is important. We want to be intentional in our marriage, in our parenting, in our time, in our relationships, and in the choices that we make. In our marriage, we want to be intentional with how we treat each other and how we are growing together towards God. In our parenting, we want to be intentional with the choices that we make for our little girl and with our attitudes towards this new adventure. When it comes to our time, we want to be intentional with giving God time to speak and not getting stuck in the rut of Netflix and naps. In our relationships, we want to be intentional in welcoming people into our lives and our home and in building lasting, Kingdom-centered relationships. In all of our choices, we want to be intentional with glorifying God, prioritizing our Lord and our family above all else.

How YOU Can Live Intentional

So what can living intentional in 2017 look like for you? Maybe you struggle with keeping your finances under control; living intentional in that area might look something like using an envelope system, keeping a stricter budget, or going on a spending freeze. Or perhaps you have found yourself being complacent in your marriage or in your parenting; living intentional for you might involve setting aside a date night each month, planning more activities with your kids, or starting a family devotional. I love the word intentional because it can be applied to every single area in your life, and it’s going to look different for each and every one of us. But one thing is certain: when we choose to live intentional and focus on being purposeful, God will bless us. After all, He Himself is an intentional God. “He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace.” -2 Timothy 1:9

29 Replies to “How And Why We Are Living Intentional In 2017”

This is a really great word. I love how it can be used when you think about everything in your life. I’m also going to pick a word, and I’ve been thinking/praying about it, but haven’t quite found the right one yet. You found a perfect one! Congrats on everything that’s coming up this year!

I’m seeing more posts this month focused on not necessarily setting goals, but living with intention, essentially, and I love that approach! I’ve been having a hard time setting “goals” but I’ve thought about a word to guide my year and how I’d like that to apply that word to my life. I love that you and your husband came up with the word “intention” to guide your year together. That’s awesome!

Thanks so much, Crystal! I’ve seen a lot of those, too, and I really like them! 🙂 I think a general word to focus on is easier than specific goals because the word can change with you throughout the year! 🙂

Great word! My word is Joy but I certainly plan to be intentional too. I will still set goals but I view them as goals and not resolutions. Goals that are specific and measurable and broken down into steps. They are also adjustable and will be re-evaluated regularly! Hope you have an awesome year!

Thanks so much for being a part of the link up! I hope you are encouraged by the other linkers words. I am definitely inspired by yours.

Congrats on baby #1! 🙂 I remember welcoming my first into the word just over a year ago, and I can tell you, God placed the PERFECT word on your heart. What I found most challenging in parenting (mostly 5-10 months old) was being intentional with my husband. Now that we are welcoming baby #2 into the world in a matter of days, I will have to be even more intentional to set aside us time, no matter what it looks like.

I can’t wait to see how your word takes shape as life takes on new challenges and the year progresses.

2017 will be an exciting year for you all. Intentional is the perfect word for new parents — there really is a lot of uncertainty and at times the days will blend into one another, but once the fog lifts intentionality with your time will pay off.

SUCH a great word for your year. I think it’ll serve as a wonderful guide along with God’s word! You’ll have to come back every couple of months and update us on how you’re practicing an intentional life! Blessings to you in the new year, Abbey!

Archives

Archives

Disclosure Policy

Small Town Soul is a for-profit blog. Any company that I collaborate with is chosen by me because they fit the mission and audience of my blog. I will only work with brands that I trust and believe in, and that I think you’ll love, as well. Some posts may contain affiliate links, meaning that any clicks on these links may result in a tiny commission to me, at no extra cost to you. All sponsored work and affiliate link commissions go to keeping this blog up and running.